February 27, 2006
Thomas vs. Williams
You've probably seen the news about Kenny Williams calling Frank Thomas an idiot. But those stories don't link to the interview that was the last straw for Kenny. Here it is. The feud between the two comes down to the diminished skills clause of Frank's old contract:
Arvia: The weird thing about this is A's GM Billy Beane and Kenny are pretty tight (or were until Beane made some disparaging remarks about Williams in a book) ...
Thomas: No it isn't. Bottom line, Kenny and I have never seen eye to eye, from Day 1. There's no secret about that. It started in 2000. That has stuck with him from Day 1, when he took the job in 2000.
I would have been better off in 2000 asking to be traded instead of sitting in that situation I did for that five years. After we lost to Seattle in the playoffs that year, I should have been traded.
That's when the bitterness started, and it was over a contract. You're damn right. And you saw how it ended up — first superstar in the game to get money taken off the (bleeping) plate. That's where all that started.
Thomas does say one thing in the interview that do think is idiotic:
Thomas: And you're talking to me right now like I'm 40 years old. I'm not 40 years old. I'm 37. I'm in my prime.
You think about what Barry Bonds has done from the ages of 37 to 41. It shows you what a player 37 can do — 37 to 40 are your prime years. Baseball is a game, from the ages of 35 to 40, you know so much more.
Frank is still very good, but he's not in his prime.
To end the argument, I think we should just conclude that they are both idiots. In the business world you wouldn't think of responding to the diatribe of a former employee. Best action is always to consider if continuing the "conversation" helps your organization achieve its goals. If not then just ignore it.
Hope the bickering between Frank Thomas and Kenny Williams ends soon. Both men need to focus on the coming season and not waste time rehashing the past. If Frank Thomas is healthy he could have a very good season since he hit 12 homers and drove in 26 runs in only 105 at bats in 2005 which projected over a 525 at bat season would be 60 homers and 130 RBI's. Know it is highly unlikely he would get that many at bats and post those kind of numbers but it is an indication of what he can do if he remains healthy. The A's may have made the best deal of the winter by signing Thomas for only $500,000. He will need to improve on his .219 batting average and his .315 OBP of last season.
He is being idiotic comparing himself to Bonds (not to mention saying that 37 is 'prime').
Both need to shut up and move on.
Yeah, I'm sure Williams appreciates any advice he can get.
And wise advice it is.
Of course, it certainly makes you look smart to tell him to shut up. He's only kept his mouth shut oh, six years. Meanwhile, over the last several weeks he's been pummeled like a piñada, only windmill style, by FT about how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...did he mention how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...have you heard just how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...how hurt...the Big Hurt is.
Just a guess, but maybe the newest Bay area designated hitter was waiting on Williams to say enough is enough. Well, he got it.
Hope he does well in Oakland.
He is being idiotic comparing himself to Bonds
Quite true - since you need to cut Bond's numbers in at least in half due to his steroid use, Thomas is ahead of him a factor of 2 in pretty much every category.